Process for heating and subsequently cooling metal articles.



E. W. BEARDSLEY. PROCESS FOR HEATING AND SUBSEQUENTLY COOLING METAL ARTICLES; APPLICATION FILED JULYI5, 191a. RENEWED APR- 14.19l6.

1 ,1 85,280. Patented May 30, 1916.

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UNIT sTA s PATENT o mo "EDWIN w. IBEARDSLEY, or CHESHIRE, CONNECTICUT, AssIeNon roAMnRIcAN BRASS ConrPANY, or-wA'rnnBunY, CONNECTICUT, A conronarron or 'CONNECTICU'L. I

- PROCESS FOR HEATING AND SUBSEQUENTLY CooLrivG Marlin Ann Cries.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Maya 0,191 6.

\ Application niei July 15,-1913,seii 1 No. 779,103. Renewed April '14, 1916. Serial m. 91,2e4.

To all whom it may Concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN W. BnAnDsLnY,

I a Citizen of'the United States, residingat iings, A is a furnace constructed of refrac- Cheshire, New Haven county, Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Processes for Heating, and" Subsequently Cooling Metal Articles, of

which the following is a full, clear, 'andexact' description. 7

My invention relates to-a new and improved process of heating and subsequently cooling metal articles, and has for its object to provide for the heating and subsequent cooling of, metals such as copper without oxidation or discoloration of the same. It'is particularly useful in annealing veryfine.

copper wire. The' following is adescription of an embodiment' of my invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- I Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of an apparatus for carrying out my process, and Fig; 2 is a transverse section of the same on the line wzv, Fig. 1.

Referring moreparticularly to the drawtory materials in a common manner.

B is an oil or gas burner for supplying 'fuel' at the inner end of the combustion chamber and leading to. the combustion chamber C from which the combustion gases w pass through openings C, C to the heating yondM.

pipe'leading to the interior of the,

chamber D and from these are discharged through outlet flue .E,

F is a retort or muffle which may be made of metal, or of refractory material and .ex-,

posed either directly, as'on the .sides and top, or indirectly, as on the bottom, to the heat ofthe furnace, 4' I j G is a gasket .which makes air-tight the joint between the retortiF. and the cover or door H which is clamped against same by "screws or clamps I. v v

J indicates coils of wire to be annealed. K is a ,pipe leading to the interior. of the retort atthe top, open at K inthe retort and connected by valve Swith a source of steam L, preferably at low. pressure, and by valve R, with the atmosphere at or be- N is a retort at the bottom, open at N in the retort and connected by valve Q with a source T of, non-oXidizing-gas for instance, as

' atmosphere at orbeyondO.

' opened, allowing steam from 'L'to enter the retort through pipe Kand "Opening K and .drive the air'out through opening N and outlet 0., The retort F, and thus the metal J, is thenheated by the combustion ofthe 1 fuelinchamber C and thehot gases as-they travel through chamber D Where a art of" the combustion may take place. A ten the air has been driven out of retort F by the steam, which must be accomplished before the retort F-has beenheated sufliciently to discolor the metal J, the outlet 0 may be closed by valve P, the steam inlet valve S. .being preferably left 'open to maintain-the steam in the retort at or'above atmospheric pressure, which, for' the sake of safety, should not .be greatly exceeded, suitable're ducing and safety valves bein used if. the

steam is'taken from an ordlnary boiler.

When the metal has been heated sufliciently, 1

the fuel supply is shut off and cold air is allowed to circulate through the chamber 0, openings 0,, chamber D. and flue-E. Before the metal has cooled to the boiling point of water, the steam supply valve 8 as well as the outlet valve P are closed. Gas supply, valve Q and outlet valve R are then opened, allowing the gas to enter the retort at N and the steam to leave it at K Gas should be allowed to escape at K, after-the steam has been expelled, until all the moisture has been removed that can be carried out in' that manner, when valve it may be closed. If the furnace is located in a build-1 in-g, outlet M should be continued to a suitable safe-outlet when a-combustible gas is used. When the temperature. of the metal has dropped to normal, or to such point as experience -has..proven suitable'for the class of Work being done, gas supply valve Q should be closed and valves R and P should be opened to the atmospliere,.thus allowing the gas to escape and air to enter and fill the retort. If outlet M is b low. the retort,

andthegasJis lighter than air, air under pressure may be introduced through 0 or displaced.thez gas in the retort, the latter may be opened and the metal J removed,

J suction may be applied at M. When air has I It is obvious that the material heated may be other than copper and its alloys if similar advantage may be secured in similar manner. The heating may be for other purposes than annealing. The steam used may be either saturated or superheated When introduced and the steam, particularly if it be superheated, may be the only vehicle for the tra nsmission of heat to the interior of the retort.

.The, steam may be generated in the retort from Water introduced therein; The moiS- v ture may be removed at a lower temperature than is described, by discharging a greater quantity of gas to carry out the moisture condensed from the steam.

- By the use of externally produced steam during the annealing process the amountbi I gas neeessary isv materially reduced What I claim is: 1 The process of treating o-Xi'dizable metal articles,- Whieh consists in heating them to the desired degree-in aehamber filled With- [an atmosphere of steam from an external source, replacing said atmosphere by an atmosphere ofnohmxidizinlg gas, and perinit- "ting the articles to cool to a non-oxidizing temperature While in thelatter. atmosphere.

= 2; The process of treating oxidizable metal articles, which consists in surrounding them by an atmosphere of steamfrom an external. source While contained in a chamber, applying heat externally to said chamber and thereby raising the temperature of the articles sosurrounded to the desired'degree,

replacing said atmosphere With an atmosphere of non-oxidizing gas, and permitting said chamber and the articles therein to cool to anon-oxidizing temperature;

3. The process of treating oxidizable metals which consists in heating them While in a c amber containing an atmosphere of steam from an external source, driving oii? said steam with a non-oxidizing gas, and cooling the articles to a non-oxidizing.tem perature While the chamber is filled With such gas.

4: The process of treating oxidiz'able metals, Which consists in heating them While .7

in a chamber containing an atmosphere of steam from an external source, applying external heat to said chamber, driving off said steam with a non-oxidizing gas, and cooling them and the chamber to a non-oxidizing temperature hile the chamber is filled. with such gas. v

5 The process of treating oxldizable metal chamber filled with an atmosphere of steam,

cooling said chamber to a point above the articles, which consists in heating them ina i 

